Chikungunya virus: Current perspectives on a reemerging virus

Clayton R. Morrison, Kenneth S. Plante, Mark T. Heise

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

24 Scopus citations

Abstract

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne alphavirus in the family Togaviridae that causes outbreaks of debilitating acute and chronic arthralgia in humans. Although historically associated with localized outbreaks in Africa and Asia, recent epidemics in the Indian Ocean region and the Americas have led to the recognition that CHIKV is capable of moving into previously unaffected areas and causing significant levels of human suffering. The severity of CHIKV rheumatic disease, which can severely impact life quality of infected individuals for weeks, months, or even years, combined with the explosive nature of CHIKV outbreaks and its demonstrated ability to quickly spread into new regions, has led to renewed interest in developing strategies for the prevention or treatment of CHIKV-induced disease. Therefore, this chapter briefly discusses the biology of CHIKV and the factors contributing to CHIKV dissemination, while also discussing the pathogenesis of CHIKV-induced disease and summarizing the status of efforts to develop safe and effective therapies and vaccines against CHIKV and related viruses.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numberEI10-0017-2016
JournalMicrobiology Spectrum
Volume4
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 2016
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Physiology
  • Ecology
  • General Immunology and Microbiology
  • Genetics
  • Microbiology (medical)
  • Cell Biology
  • Infectious Diseases

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